Transcript Basic Literary Terms - Longview Independent School District

Basic Literary Terms
Setting
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Setting is the time and place of the story.
Time
A. Real (Clock)
B. Historical
Place
A. Real
B. Imaginary
C. Science fiction
Plot
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Plot is what happens in a narrative or the
sequence of events.
Parts of the plot:
1.Exposition or Introduction- setting is established, characters are
introduced, & background information is given
2. Conflict or problem- struggle between opposing forces
3. Rising action- the events that lead to the climax; the conflict
builds
4. Climax- the turning point or change in the main character
5. Falling action- events that lead to the resolution of the conflict
6. Denouement- the ending; the conflict is resolved
Types of Conflict
Man
 Man
 Man
 Man
 Man
 Man
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vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
Man
Society
Nature
Himself
Fate
Machine/Technology
Kinds of Conflict
Internal conflict- conflict within the
mind of a character
 External conflict- character struggles
against some outside force
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Point of view
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1st person major character –
the main
1st person minor character –
a minor
character is the narrator
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character is the narrator
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3rd person omniscient –
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3rd person limited –
written in 3rd
person by a “god-like” narrator who sees all &
hears all
written in 3rd person
but limited to a narrowed perspective
Point of View
3rd Person Observer- written in 3rd
person and the narrator only tells the
actions of the characters
 Personal Pronouns
1st person- I, we, me, us, my, mine,
our
2nd person- you, your, yours
3rd person- he, she, it, his, her, hers,
its, their, theirs
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Literary Devices
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Flashback- an interruption in the sequence
of a story to describe an event that
happened in the past
Foreshadowing- giving hints about events
that have not yet happened in a story
Figurative Language
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Metaphor
A comparison of two dissimilar things.
Ex. Fred is a pig when he eats.
Simile
A comparison of two dissimilar things
using “like” or “as”.
Ex. Fred eats like a pig.
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Personification
When human characteristics are given to
inanimate objects.
Ex. The daffodils nodded their golden
heads.
The wind tore at the building and
laughed at the damage.
Hyperbole
An exaggeration made for effect.
Ex. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
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Symbolism
A symbol is a concrete object that stands
for something other than itself.
Ex. The eagle is a symbol of freedom.
Red on the American flag represents
the blood sacrificed to keep us free.
A lamp many times represents the
light of knowledge.
A lion symbolizes courage.
Sound Devices
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Onomatopoeia
A word that means a sound, and when
pronounced, mimics the sound.
Ex. hiss, splash, bang, sizzle
Alliteration
Repetition of consonants at the beginning
of words.
Ex. Little Boy Blue come blow your horn.